Daniël de Lange: Lioba (Opera van de maand)

In the wake of 401Concerts 4 in the OBA Concert Hall The Hague (Spui), December 18 2016, our opera of the month is Daniël de Lange's dramatic scène Lioba (1906). De Lange envisioned Lioba as his ulimate masterpiece, which could no longer be a mere formula work as his youth-opera The Fall of Kuilenburg. Lioba was crafted along the highest possible artistic standards. The text was a selection from the famous scène by Frederic van Eeden and unexpectedly old De Lange manifested himself as a revolutionary (anti-)dramatic composer alongside, say, Satie!! The premières in The Hague and elsewhere met with public acclaim but, except for one, the reviews were among the most devastating ones in all Dutch musical history. De Lange's colleague 'composer-critics' either did not understand him or they had some scores to settle with him. Either way, they were effective: nothing more was heard of Lioba until the intimate introduction was revived at 401Concerts 3. This beautiful piece prompted us to bring the apex of the duet between Sancolf and Lioba in 401Concerts 4, with Barbara Schilstra as Lioba and Hendrik Vonk as Sancolf. Download from 20 December onwards.